diff --git a/articles/sitemap.org b/articles/sitemap.org index 9cfcd79..44dc99f 100644 --- a/articles/sitemap.org +++ b/articles/sitemap.org @@ -1,5 +1,6 @@ #+TITLE: Article List +- [[file:why-i-love-manuals.org][Why I Love: Manuals]] - [[file:why-i-love-whiteboards.org][Why I Love: Whiteboards]] - [[file:realizing-you-need-to-start-over.org][Realizing You Need To Start Over]] - [[file:for-want-of-a-more-limited-computer.org][For Want Of A More Limited Computer]] \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/articles/why-i-love-manuals.org b/articles/why-i-love-manuals.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..57efd89 --- /dev/null +++ b/articles/why-i-love-manuals.org @@ -0,0 +1,125 @@ +#+TITLE: Why I Love: Manuals +#+DATE: <2024-02-23 Fri> +#+DESCRIPTION: Manuals. They tell you things. +I love manuals. I absolutely love them. I've been fascinated with them for as +long as I can remember, although that's not very far. The question becomes, of +course, why do I love them? + +* Part One: Those Darn Video Games +My obsession with the paper tomes started with video game manuals. I have vivid +memories of sitting in the back of the car with a brand new game, likely gotten +for my birthday, and just poring over the manual again and again and again, +eagerly seeking out tidbits of lore, mechanics, hints, artwork, diagrams. Most +often these were Nintendo DS or Wii manuals. I'd often have read them a hundred +times before I even got out of the car to get to play it. + +There's something special to me about those manuals. Big titles for these +consoles often had big manuals, often with custom artwork, theming based around +the game, and hints and tricks spread throughout. Smaller titles were often a +much more utilitarian affair, simple black and white text arranged neatly on the +thin paper. + +I loved being able to digest the information in such a simple way. It was +relaxing, simply letting myself absorb information, and on rare occasions, +actually checking them in order to find a button combination or a helpful map. + +I used to just read them for fun. I even took some to school, to read when I had +sped through yet another page of simple sums. It was a fun comforting item for +me to read. + +But that was just the beginning of my manual craze. + +* Part Two: Manuals Of Actual Consequence +I was sitting in my Dad's Ford Transit van, bored to tears, when I started +rummaging through the glove compartment. I then found the manual, and suddenly, +I had something to read. I can't remember off the top of my head which year it +was for, but I started flipping through. Pages of procedures for checking +various things, how to operate the radio system, features of add-ons and +variants that weren't on the van. In that moment, something clicked in my head +that manuals were *real* sources of information. + +I then started reading pretty much any physical manual that came across my +path. I've learned, in theory, but mostly forgotten, how to operate many pieces +of machinery that I shall never see nor interact with, and that thought is +simply very funny to me. I know how to open 180 degree doors on certain Transit +Vans, for no reason at all, whatsoever. + +But I actually learned helpful things, too. Things like reading a copy of the +"Rules of the Road" actually had some things stick around in my head, and +managed to make passing my own theory test easier, although I did have to revise +just a little bit as you can imagine. + +But I simply adore having a comprehensive, well written and illustrated manual +to read. They are so unbelievably helpful that it still boggles the mind to me +that "RTFM" is a common cry on forums, chats, and frustrated tech support calls +everywhere? Why wouldn't you want to *read* a manual? + +Oh, yeah, because you're a sane human being who doesn't see a large table +listing specifications, and think "Lovely!" + +I know there's some of you out there that agree. + +* Part Three: Damn, Did I Miss The Good Part AGAIN? +Unfortunately, I often look at scans and and pictures of older manuals. And holy +hell, do they seem a lot more detailed, a lot more interesting to read! Frankly, +they needed to be for anyone to get good information on a given thing. The +lessened access to the gigantic source of all human knowledge and then 80 +percent entirely useless lowest-common-denominator faff. + +The advent of the Internet, and search engines, have somewhat lessened the need +to put *everything* into a manual. Often times, you can buy a new gizmo or gadget +and get a paper slip "Quick Start Guide", which simply tells you "plug it in, +4head", and an impostor booklet that contains only the billion lines of legalese +that tell you not to throw it in the rubbish bin and that you don't actually own +the product you just paid for. + +Oh, and getting a big old spiral bound manual with your 8-bit home computer +sounds simply lovely, and I want that, please, thank you very much. If it's +going to sit on my desk, why *shouldn't* it be spiral bound? + +Did I miss this just like the Web 1.0? + +* Part Four: Digital Manuals, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Texinfo. +But the manual *lives* on. Sure, they take slightly different forms, these +days. Sometimes, it's a wiki, or knowledge base, which is kept up to date +rigorously and contains the same tips, tricks, and arcane knowledge I love. + +Other times it's three lines that are inaccurate at best. At least they're quick +to read and dismiss, while you promptly find someone who knows what they're +doing, and then make them your defacto manual. + +I think my favourite example comes from my favorite Lisp Interpeter/Web +Browser/Chessboard/Snake Game/Text-Based Adventure/Text Editor, GNU Emacs. The +built in manual is extensive, and just *chock* full of interesting tidbits. You +can learn Emacs in one day. Everyday. But it's got a manual to match that, and +docstrings galore to boot. With *three keypresses* you gain access to an *index* of +different manuals. + +You certainly need it for a program that's been evolving since 1985. Emacs even +comes with two manuals for the built in language, Emacs Lisp, one a reference, +the other an introduction for non-programmers to that language! + +There's also the UNIX tradition of the good old man page. Quick, simple, and of +course... accessible through Emacs. What, you expect me to *leave* Emacs? But more +seriously, they can be a real mixed bag. Some are just detailed enough to get to +know the program, others are small, and out-of-date. They are something to +scratch that itch, either way. + +Not to mention the myriad of other software, hardware, and equipment that have +massive digital manuals. While it's disappointing that I might not get something +to hold in my hands, the replacement isn't too bad, and searching is a *godsend* +for pulling the information you need. There's benefits to both, really. + +So I think there's plenty of high quality manuals left for me to read and +refrence. And plenty more that have three sentences of poorly translated English +that leave mep trudging to Stack Exchange to desperately find someone who +hopefully had the same problem. + +And if you're not an Emacs user, and are complaining that GCC or some other +program doesn't have documentation, do yourself a favour, and type: + +/"info"/ + +This one may have happened in an IRC channel. + +Too long, didn't read? *Read the fuc-*